The Audubon Societies 



339 



"Last fall my school at Ardonia, N. Y., 

 formed an Audubon class. We devoted one 

 hour each week and held a regular meeting 

 each month. To this period we devoted 

 two hours. Feeding-boxes were put up on 

 school grounds and at pupils' homes and 

 fifteen bird-houses were put up at school, 

 and not one of the class of forty failed to 

 put up bird-houses at home. Great interest 

 is shown by parents as well as pupils. 



"This is a locality where birds have 

 been wantonly killed by Italians, and I 

 am sorry to say by some familes who are 

 fruit-growers. I know of one case by the 

 school where thirty Robins were killed in 

 one day during the grape season. One 

 of these men this year said that he 

 intended to kill every Robin he could. He 

 killed five, and through our class he was 

 given a good lesson. The others took the 

 hint or changed their views, as there is no 

 shooting about the place except now and 

 then by an Italian from the city. My 

 brother caught one Italian with a Robin, 

 still alive, in his pocket; he had just 

 shot it, but, before we could get word to 

 the game-warden and get him here, the 

 Italian had left for parts unknown. 



"With forty pairs of sharp eyes and 

 forty little bird-loving hearts, a great deal 

 can be done to protect our birds. 



"All these boys and girls are farmers' 

 children. Everyone at the close of school 

 voted to continue the work in the fall." 



Thus we may see some of the things 

 accomplished by one Audubon class. It 

 may be considered a fair example of what 

 was done by the members of each of the 

 two thousand four hundred and thirteen 

 Junior Societies organized in the United 

 States, Canada, and Porto Rico, during 

 the past year.— T. G. P. 



Egret Hunters Punished 



Under date of June 24, 1013, Mr. B. J. 

 Pacetti, of Ponce Park, Florida reported 

 as follows: 



"I have today caused the arrest of a 

 man named Loftin in Daytona for killing 

 plume birds, and had him placed in jail, 

 in default of two hundred dollars, to 



appear at the criminal court. I have two 

 charges against him, one of killing three 

 birds on May 5, and another of killing four 

 on May 12. I have three good witnesses 

 who saw him with the birds, and it is a 

 clear case against him, but I would suggest 

 that, if possible, we employ Attorney 

 Sams to assist in the prosecution." 



Mr. Pacetti was at once authorized to 

 employ the services of the attorney to 

 represent the National Association in the 

 prosecution of the case. 



Attorney Sams, of Deland, Florida, 

 writes under date of July 28 as follows: 

 "I beg leave to advise that we have dis- 

 posed of the Loftin cases by pleas of guilty 

 in both instances, and the court gave him 

 the maximum penalty in each case. This, 

 however, is only twenty days, ten days 

 for each offense. I was sure the penalty 

 would be more than this, but I have spent 

 a good deal of time, as has the County 

 Solicitor, in looking up the law on the 

 proposition, and the only statute we can find 

 under which punishment can be imposed 

 is Sec. 3759 of the General Statutes. . ." 



Starlings Again 



Miss Louisa Crawford, of Bridgeport, 

 Conn., r gives the following Starling' notes: 



"We have a large maple tree in our 

 yard right near the house and in a wind- 

 storm last winter the tree was broken off. 

 In the spring a pair of Flickers sent the 

 chips flying and made a hole in the stump 

 that was left. They raised two broods. 

 The following spring the. Flickers came 

 back. In the meantime a pair of Starlings 

 had raised a brood in this same nest. The 

 Flickers finding the old home occupied, 

 put up a strong fight. We all thought 

 they won out, but soon the ground around 

 the tree was covered with chips. They had 

 started to build a 'down stairs' flat. They 

 had it completed when another pair of 

 Starlings took possession. There was 

 battle again with two pair of Starlings 

 against one pair of Flickers. Of course the 

 Starlings won. How can we drive off these 

 intruders? They are noisy, dirty and 

 apparently not of much use." 



